I have not heard that one before, but there is also a different song by Mike O'Connor titled 'Carrying Nelson Home' about which there are plenty of threads in the forum under various titles - Carrying/Bringing Nelson Home, Sing Me A Shanty.

"Thank you for your interest in Nelson's Shantymen. I am pleased to hear that your colleague choose to sing the song Taking Nelson Home, it's a great song and always go down well with us . The origins of the song, i sorry but cannot really help you with. I have tried to research it but no luck. We picked it out of a Sea shanty book and thought it would be a great number for us as we are Nelson's Shantymen base here at Burnham Thorpe which was the birth place of Lord Horatio Nelson. Our CD Singing for Victory has just been put onto iTunes for download or if you would like the CD it's self you could send me a cheque Made payable to Nelson's Shantymen, with your address and I could send you a copy. Price is £8.00 + £1.00 p&p"

Courtesy of Wikipedia Following his death at Trafalgar. Nelson's body was placed in a cask of brandy mixed with camphor and myrrh, which was then lashed to the Victory's mainmast and placed under guard. Victory was towed to Gibraltar after the battle, and on arrival the body was transferred to a lead-lined coffin filled with spirits of wine. Collingwood's dispatches about the battle were carried to England aboard HMS Pickle, and when the news arrived in London, a messenger was sent to Merton Place to bring the news of Nelson's death to Emma Hamilton. She later recalled, They brought me word, Mr Whitby from the Admiralty. "Show him in directly", I said. He came in, and with a pale countenance and faint voice, said, "We have gained a great Victory." – "Never mind your Victory", I said. "My letters – give me my letters" – Captain Whitby was unable to speak – tears in his eyes and a deathly paleness over his face made me comprehend him. I believe I gave a scream and fell back, and for ten hours I could neither speak nor shed a tear. King George III, on receiving the news, is alleged to have said, in tears, "We have lost more than we have gained." The Times reported We do not know whether we should mourn or rejoice. The country has gained the most splendid and decisive Victory that has ever graced the naval annals of England; but it has been dearly purchased. The first tribute to Nelson was fittingly offered at sea by sailors of Vice-Admiral Dmitry Senyavin's passing Russian squadron, which saluted on learning of the death. Nelson's body was unloaded from the Victory at the Nore. It was conveyed up-river in Commander Grey's yacht Chatham to Greenwich and placed in a lead coffin, and that in another wooden one, made from the mast of L'Orient which had been salvaged after the Battle of the Nile. He lay in state in the Painted Hall at Greenwich for three days, before being taken up river aboard a barge, accompanied by Lord Hood, chief mourner Sir Peter Parker, and the Prince of Wales. The Prince of Wales at first announced his intention to attend the funeral as chief mourner, but later attended in a private capacity with his brothers when his father George III reminded him that it was against protocol for the Heir to the Throne to attend the funerals of anyone except members of the Royal Family. The coffin was taken into the Admiralty for the night, attended by Nelson's chaplain, Alexander Scott. The next day, 9 January, a funeral procession consisting of 32 admirals, over a hundred captains, and an escort of 10,000 soldiers took the coffin from the Admiralty to St Paul's Cathedral. After a four-hour service he was interred within a sarcophagus originally carved for Cardinal Wolsey. The sailors charged with folding the flag draping Nelson's coffin and placing it in the grave instead tore it into fragments, with each taking a piece as a memento.

The term "Nelson's Blood" refers to rum. As it was affectionately known as by Royal Navy sailors. From the notion that he was preserved not in a brandy barrel but in a rum barrel for the journey home.

The following is a transcription from the video so may not be 100% accurate

TAKING NELSON HOME Ian Palmer

He came on board in a brandy cask, we're taking Nelson home Sailors bending to their tasks, we're taking Nelson home Daily roughians homeward bound, take him to his burial ground Taking Nelson home, we're taking Nelson home

We stowed him down in the hold below, we're taking Nelson home We're outward bound and we'll roll and go, we're taking Nelson home Daily roughians homeward bound, take him to his burial ground Taking Nelson home, we're taking Nelson home

North by west we sailed away, we're taking Nelson home Nelson's blood is the drink I crave, we're taking Nelson home Daily roughians homeward bound, take him to his burial ground Taking Nelson home, we're taking Nelson home

I was a little too impetuous to get the song posted. Of course "daily roughians" don't scan. Anyways, I now understand it to be "Weary roughians" And if Joe Clone could just amend the lyrics above-- that would keep it nice 'n' tidy. Ta.

There is in fact no such word in Chambers, or any other dictionary I have consulted, as 'roughian'; the word 'ruffian', meaning a lout or trouble-maker, does not seem to derive fron 'rough' [tho it might have formed a sort of folk-etymological connection thru similarity of sound], and its derivation is unknown according to Chambers. I think that Keith's suggestion above of "Billy Ruffian", as indicating a member of the crew of the Bellerephon, known humorously among the fleet as the Billy Ruffian, is a good one.

I accept that my vocabulary was caught short for a second time, Michael! and thank you and Keith for pointing the error of my ways. It's good to get things correct, that's why we put ourselves up here -- we have many learned members to keep us on our toes.

bradfordian ( must do better, reflect and check the detail--- no short cuts, eh?)